Volkswagen factory in Osnabrück: future with air defense instead of cars

In the future, the Volkswagen factory in Osnabrück will no longer build cars, but instead will build air defense systems. The state of Lower Saxony, the VW Group, the Israeli Rafael defense group and the investor Aurelius Capital concluded a corresponding agreement on Monday. VW is therefore completely withdrawing from the Osnabrück site.

The goal is to maintain the location in the long term. The solution now in place offers a future for almost 1,400 of the current total of 1,800 employees.

Initially, the cooperation will focus on the possible development and production of components for air defense systems. According to VW, the workforce in Osnabrück will play a central role in establishing production and industrialization.

The agreement is not yet a completed sale - but it therefore forms the basis for the next steps. “This includes determining future responsibilities, the economic and organizational design and the preparation of the possible transition,” it said.

Rafael also produces the Iron Beam system, a laser weapon against airborne targets. It also provides the Trophy active protection system, which can destroy incoming rockets and rocket-propelled grenades and is installed on the German Leopard main battle tank.

Car production is coming to an end

Most recently, the factory's employees were looking into an uncertain future: production of the Porsche models manufactured in Osnabrück will have ended at the end of 2025. The Stuttgart-based company also canceled a hoped-for follow-up order for an electric sports car. Currently only the T-Roc convertible is being built in Osnabrück. The use of the site outside of traditional car production has therefore been discussed for some time.